As a kid I remember dad running sheep in the orchard , they kept it mostly clean except for the blackberry bushes.
Which was neat for picking blackberries.
I remember they even made tunnels through the high bushes.
We kids had a ball in the orchard, jumping on the old ram and riding him like a jockey in a horse race.
He would always go through the tunnels , and we got scratched up pretty good, we had a ball.
The chickens ( we had an egg farm ) would roost in the apple trees ,but don't remember them hurting the roots.
They were turned out in the evening to brose , and us kids had to catch those that didn't go back to the coop.
Had to watch the garden very close, as the chickens loved to eat the tomatoes.